Caroline just needs to hang on for three more months, and then she can be rid of her small town and start living her life as her true, authentic self. All that gets complicated when her girlfriend leaves her and her best friend disappears. After going through her own issues with the police, Caroline can't depend on them to find Madison. When she takes it into her own hands, she starts learning about other missing girls. Could all of these somehow be connected? 

This was very entertaining and had me on the edge of my seat. The beginning was slow but it definitely picks up and by the end, I couldn't read fast enough. For me, the twist and reveal came out of nowhere and I was really surprised—that always makes for a good mystery/thriller.

So why only 3.5 stars? I hated our main character, Caroline. Now, I'm totally on board for an unlikable character, but she was just mean, manipulative, and entitled. She kind of bullied her friends to help her, not caring what they had to give up to be there for her. Some of the things she did felt a little unbelievable like being gone from her home for days on end and never having to suffer any consequences for her actions. Yes, she is angry and hurt for some of the traumatic things she's experienced, but that doesn't give her the right to be awful.

I also feel like the plot was unnecessarily convoluted at times. The author tried to pack so many things into the mystery plot that it made it pretty confusing. She had a great story to begin with and didn't need to add in a lot of nonsense that did nothing for the story.

So while this was entertaining, it was a little bit of a letdown. 

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in response for an honest review.

I wanted to like this book so badly. Lesbian main character? Mystery? Anxiety rep? I thought I'd like all these things mixed together, but sadly I DNF'd at 25%. The main character, Caroline, was just so annoyingly frustrated. It turned into every other mystery where I was practically screaming at the pages to "TELL SOMEONE!". She seemed to think that she could fix everything herself and solve the mystery, even going as far as omitting things to the police. All that was in the first chapter. It was frustrating to read, and made it impossible for me to sympathize with a MC that seemed to be written for me to actually like.

Overall, I think that if I hadn't read so many books with MC's just like Caroline, I would have finished it. But I just became so disinterested in Caroline's journey, that I stopped caring about the mystery. While the actual writing was compelling and clearly Contos is a talented author, I just couldn't get past the actions taken by the MC. Some people may love it, and who knows, I may have ended up actually liking the book had I been able to get past by own issues with it.

"I'd talk about a world that honors power and influence above twelve girls' existence."

I had lots of mixed feelings about this book, but I think, in the end, I enjoyed it.

I really appreciated the thriller/suspenseful aspect of this novel. It reminded me of a darker version of They Wish They Were Us maybe mixed with The Lovely Bones. It not only had me trying to figure out what happened to Madison, the main character's missing best friend, but also had me wondering about a plethora of characters, their secrets, and an unknown character whose POVs were occasionally showcased. The dark suspense had me hooked throughout the whole book.

Something that was perhaps most convincing and heartbreaking in this book was its overall message. The truth it spoke of "throwaway girls"; girls, or people in general, who are looked over by the public because of their social/economic/racial statuses. It was a hard and much-needed look into the way things are and how they need to change.

That being said, it was difficult for me to get into this book at first. I liked the thriller parts of things, but it kinda had a slow beginning. Things picked up later into the book, but not until about halfway through. If I hadn't been committed to figuring out the whodunit, I might have stopped reading.

I also wasn't a big fan of Caroline. I understand she was going through some hard things throughout the book, but I just wasn't a fan of her character. I can't tell if she added or subtracted from the main voice of the story, but she was who I learned this story through anyway.

Overall, this was a great book that gave a hard look at society and how things truly are. It's never easy for me to read these kinds of books, but then again, change is never easy. And it definitely sparked a change in my heart.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Kids Can Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I had mixed feelings about this book despite hoping I’d love it.

What I liked: The book swept me in and had me wanting to know the truth from beginning to end. I understood Caroline’s motive even if I felt we were dropped right into the search without enough initial level-setting for me personally. The writing is generally enjoyable to read and there’s a sort of atmosphere to the book that I think draws you into the mystery in a way that works really well. I also felt Caroline was a realistic teen whose decision making definitely feels very believable and teenage. And I see the social commentary on missing girls / believing powerful men over unseen girls that the book was trying to shine a light on, and appreciate that. But I think that’s where the book misses the mark since there’s so much of the focus on this theme that the qualities that make a great mystery get a little lost.

What didn’t work for me: The dual narrative was extremely hard to follow for the first half of the book. The chapter titles being different are the only sign the view is changed at first. I didn’t feel that the two narrators had distinctly different voices or personalities so it took a long confusing period of time to realize we’d changed viewpoints. I felt Caroline’s character (and really most characters) was pretty flat - you know a few activities that she’s in and that she vapes (why the many many references to vaping with only one character who explains the danger factor in one sentence and another that judges it but also partakes?)

I also felt like the mystery just kind of fell flat? There were twists and turns but they didn’t really weave together well and the clues were very subtle so it wasn’t a plot that kept you guessing in a good way. I generally didn’t understand what the thread was until the very end. And then for how slow paced the book is, the ending felt extremely rushed. I wanted more resolution to Caroline and Mr. McCormick. I appreciated we got more of Audrey but their friendship was never really explained in the beginning for me to buy that they’re this close throughout the story?

I also felt like the book tried a little too hard to comment on too many things in a way that didn’t do them as much justice as a stronger focus could have. And something about the conversion therapy plot aspect just didn’t sit right with me the entire time I was reading - I don’t think the LGBTQ+ themes are adequately explored here in a way that does them justice, having read a lot of really amazing LGBTQ+ YA lit recently.

While several things missed the mark for me personally, I do think fans of A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder (which I also didn’t love) would like many things about this book, Caroline’s character, and her commitment to determine what has happened to her friend. So I would still recommend it to those readers. And given this is a debut book, I’d definitely be willing to overlook the “meh” feelings I had at times here and would read more by the author for sure.

I do think this book may not be for everyone due to the sensitive topics included. CW for: Lots of vaping, parents unsupportive of LGBTQ teen, conversion camp experience described, suicidal ideations, anxiety, drug references, kidnapping.

Thanks #NetGalley and #KidsCanPress for this ARC. I will post this review on my Instagram too, its @flyonbooks.

4.5 stars

English: I loved this novel. I liked the characters and the story is round. It has all the elements of a well done thriller novel.
I really liked that none of the characters are perfect, because the people are not. The strength of the protagonist Caroline despite everything she lived through, Willa with her dark life and her optimism about how to see life and Aubrey's big heart.
The way the story unfolds is very well done, as well as its conclusion. The strength of her characters that felt real despite being teenagers is something I really appreciated and made me remember the novel "Sadie." And the criticism of the excessive use of power is very well developed.
The only reason it wasn't 5 stars for me is just the fact that almost everyone "likes" Caroline ...
I will definetly look up for more of this author work.

Spanish: Me encantó esta novela. Me gustaron los personajes y la historia esta es redonda. Tiene todos los elementos de una novela thriller bien hecha.
Me gustó mucho que ninguno de los personajes sea perfecto, porque las personas no lo son. La fuerza de la protagonista Caroline a pesar de todo lo que vivió, Willa con su vida tan oscura y su optimismo de como ver la vida y el gran corazón de Aubrey.
La forma en que se desarrolla la historia esta muy bien hecha, así como su conclusión. La fuerza de sus personajes que se sintió real a pesar de ser adolescentes es algo que aprecié mucho y me hizo recordar a la novela "Sadie". Y la crítica al uso excesivo de poder esta muy bien desarrollada.
El único motivo por el que no fue 5 estrellas para mí es sólo y únicamente el hecho de que a casi todos les "guste" Caroline... Definitivamente voy a estar pendiente de lo que la autora publique en el futuro.

I enjoyed this one a lot. It was well written. The characters were interesting. The mystery kept me hooked and guessing right until the end. There were a couple things that I felt could have been executed better as I found parts to be confusing, but overall it was a really enjoyable read.

I don't know if it was just me or not, but I really didn't get the hype with this book. Most of it was good - I liked 80% of the plot and characters, but there was writing that didn't make sense and the whole thing with the name changing was just weird. All in all a solid effort for a debut. 3.5 stars rounded down.

This was a really engaging and interesting read. It was fast-paced and intriguing and I really liked the characters. It was a little too obvious who the bad guy was for me, but I also don't really think the point was a whodunit. The point is clearly about what a girl is worth, and how much money and status can change that answer. Why it matters that the police look for EVERYONE, not just the pretty rich girls. There were a lot of really topical and unfortunately true points made around that topic, and as someone in the justice system, I always appreciate when someone can show readers how serious of a problem it is. I liked the way it was written, and I really enjoyed the balance of real and raw with humour and love. We got great rep of what it's like to be in conversion camp, what it's like to lose a loved one, and the harsh reality of looking for girls no one else is looking for. Overall a very solid read.

Book Review- Throwaway Girls by Andrea Contos 📚 ⁣⁣
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Throwaway Girls is a YA thriller that caught my attention because of its haunting cover. ⁣⁣
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Caroline’s beat friend Madison is missing, but Caroline doesn’t think that cops are doing enough to find her. Along the way she finds that more girls are missing. But those teens are not wealthy and privileged like her friend, they are Throwaway Girls. Girls who are never looked for.⁣⁣
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I really enjoyed the plot. A book with missing girls? Yes please.⁣⁣
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But I have mixed feelings on the whole thing. I wasn’t that interested in it until about 40% in. It took me like 3 days just to get there. It just started out a bit slow. Things definitely picked up enough for me to be on the edge of my seat. BUT I figured out the mystery about halfway through the book. This is the reason why I take breaks from thrillers from time to time. ⁣⁣
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Overall I enjoyed this book. This is the book for people who enjoy mysteries, LGBT characters and YA. ⁣⁣
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Thank you @netgalley for the ARC,

4 stars

We love to see someone take the law into their own hands. Throwaway Girls by Andrea Contos is a thrilling depiction of a girl doing just that.

Conto's writing pulls you in from the very beginning and her protagonist Caroline is an absolutely kickass, dark heroine. I did find that the middle dragged a bit, but the last 100 pages or so really kicked the story back into high gear. The ending had me SHOOK.

One thing that I have to commend Contos on is the depth and dimension that she gives her young characters. I really love when authors give teenage characters the range of emotion that they deserve and this book definitely had plenty of that. The different types of relationships in this book are all executed incredibly well, whether it be student-teacher, parent-child, or friend-enemy.

As someone who loves murder mysteries and strong female characters, this book was a win-win for me! I hope that you all enjoy it as much as I did.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and KCP Loft for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Wow. This has got to be my favorite mystery novel of 2020. The way its written gives you an interesting look into how society let's the average human slip through the cracks but will always look for the ones that are of higher social standing.
Written in a style that keeps you entranced, throwaway girls is hard to put down. You will continue to guess who each character really is in the grand scheme of the story. The author also wrote it as two points of view that really pushed this novel apart from others in the genre.
I highly recommend it for fans in the mid teen range and up.

Really a 3.5 out of 5

"It's never the people who reap the benefits who want to change how the world works."

I had a hard time connecting with Caroline as a character, and most of the time I was reading the book I found her rather unlikeable. At times I felt like there was too much going on in the story, and was worried that there would be too many loose ends. It was also rather unbelievable, as a lot of thrillers are, but Throwaway Girls was almost too much.

In this case though, the good outweighed the bad. Overall, I really liked the story, and the writing style. I think it brought up important social issues. It really highlighted the class system in the US. It also showed LGBTQ+ representation, and talked about conversion therapy for minors, which is still legal in 30 states. I think dropping true facts into books like this are super helpful for readers.

The ending of the book had me turning pages so fast! I could not get enough. I loved the ending, and never saw the twist coming. This is definitely a young adult thriller, but if you like that genre this is a great book to choose!

I've just finished Throwaway Girls and I'm struggling to form a coherent sentence on how much I loved this book and how it made me feel... I read the majority of this book in one sitting because I just had to know what happened to Madison. It takes a lot for a book to hit me on a personal level but this book did just that.

The ending blew me away and I spent the last 25% of this book on edge and feeling intense anxiety as the events unfolded and we started to uncover what had really happened to Madison and the other missing girls. I have so much to say but there are so many ways this book can be spoiled at the same time. However what I will say is that this book will make you think. It will make you think about all the missing girls you see in the news that get shrugged off as runaways because they're not from ideal situations. I loved the social commentary and the fact that it addressed the stigma surrounding girls who don't come from middle or upper class families and the struggle to gain justice as a result.

My favourite part of this book was the POV chapters that are dotted throughout from an unknown character who isn't revealed until the end. I spent most of the book believing this POV was one character, and then found out at the end that it wasn't at all who I was expecting. This added a lot more depth to the character that I don't think we would have been able to see otherwise.

The only downside of this story for me was that I felt the first 30-40% was quite slow and I struggled to get into it, but I'm incredibly glad I persevered as the payoff was completely worth it!

Overall I would rate this 4 stars, it's a strong debut novel and I will definitely be picking up anything else Cantos publishes in the future.

Throwaway girls was an enjoyable read for me. The book was slow at times but overall it was a typical YA Mystery thriller novel. I really appreciated the LGBT representation in this as thrillers don't have much of this representation. Overall it was a great read.

This was such an intriguing mystery! The beginning started out a little slow and honestly I considered putting it down, but I'm glad I stuck it out. The mystery hooked me about 30% of the way in and I couldn't put it down after that. I was never 100% sure who did it, which kept me engaged and guessing all the way through.
There were a few minor spots throughout where the writing felt slow, but overall, the ending was great and well-developed and Caroline's character kept me invested.
The POV chapters from the unknown narrators were a great addition to an already atmospheric read. This is a strong debut novel and an excellent read for mystery lovers everywhere. It left me on the edge of my seat more times than one and it's perfect for fans of Sadie. I can't wait to see this book out in the world.

3.5 stars

This was a good and interesting mystery novel. I had a lot of fun reading it and would definitely recommend it if you enjoy the mystery/horror genre.

It's been a few days since I've finished Throwaway Girls and I still can't form a coherent sentence on much I loved this book and its characters. I read 75% of this book in one sitting because I just had to know: What happened to Madison? It takes a lot for a book to hit me on a personal level and Throwaway Girls did just that.

Caroline is so close to freedom that she can taste it. She can't wait to get away from her parents who can't accept who she is, the fancy prep school that is smothering her and trying to forget the girl who ran off to California and broke her heart. Everything changes when Caroline's best friend Madison goes missing. Not trusting the police herself Caroline takes matters into her own hands and learns that she didn't know as much about Madison as she thought she did. In her search, Caroline comes across multiple missing girls who aren't from good parts of town and are assumed to be "runaways." But Caroline learns pretty quickly that there is a common denominator between all these missing girls: herself.

I think my favorite aspect of this book is that we get occasional POV chapters from an unknown character who isn't revealed until the end, when all the huge secrets are beginning to unfold. I spent most of the book thinking that this POV was one character, when it really wasn't a character I was expecting at all. I think in Cantos doing this is added a lot more depth to this character that we might not have gotten to see otherwise.

There is so much to talk about but so many ways this book can be spoiled at the same time. But I will give it this: It makes you think. It makes you think about all the missing girls you see in the news and how they are assumed to be runaways because they aren't from the ideal situations. The stigma that is surrounding girls who don't come from middle class or upper class families and them gaining justice.

Cantos debut novel is a strong one and I am excited to see what she is going to have in store for her readers next. Throwaway Girls left me on the edge of my seat for the whole story, desperate to know how it was going to end. Throwaway Girls is perfect for fans of Sadie and other books that fall under that genre.

This might be my favorite YA mystery/ thriller to date! I loved the LGBT and anxiety rep, the characters, the realness, and the unraveling of the disappearances.

“Sometimes Burning it down is the only escape”

Caroline was far from perfect- she lived a double life, loved too hard, and was ruthless to do whatever it took to find her best friend, Madison. Every character had their own secrets to hide and Caroline felt responsible to uncover them all. This book gripped me from the start and kept me guessing longer than most books do and I truly appreciated that.
I loved the realness of this book. Sadly, “throwaway girls” are a real thing- they do disappear and are usually labeled as runaways instead of being looked for. People look at status and class to determine someone’s worth. There are horrible people in the world who will abuse the law system to do whatever they want because they can get away with it. There are parents who try to force their children to be straight. There are parents who try to make their children who they want them to be and care about their image instead of who they truly are and what makes them happy. There are teachers who care about their students health and future, but are seen as taking advantage of them.
This book broke my heart- it was twisted, beautiful, and fierce. If this is Andrea’s debut book, I truly can not wait to see what she comes up with next. She will be a one-click author for me and I feel like this book will stay with me forever.

I really didn't love this as much as I thought I would. I loved the plot itself and I think this book could have been phenomenal and heart wrenching, but I just didn't like the main character at all or the writing style.

Caroline, our main character, is a couple months away from graduation and getting out of her hometown and moving far away. Her best friend goes missing one night and she is doing everything she can to find her. While trying to discover where Madison went, she realizes a lot of girls have gone missing. Those other girls don't come from a nice family or wealthy family so they don't get looked at, everyone just thinks they are junkies or ran away with their boyfriends. Caroline is now on the hunt to figure out how all these girls connect with Madison's disappearance.

While I did love the theme of this book, I just couldn't stand the main character. Caroline has this poor me act, which I get that she has had a crap life growing up, but she acts like she has the worst family and just doesn't care about anything. She is quite selfish to her friends and just very whiny. Also, I didn't love the writing style. It was very fast paced, but almost too fast paced where I felt like we were missing information.

I was surprised by the ending, and thought it was good. I just wish more of my questions were answered and that this book has wrapped up better. All in all, I think most people will love this book, it just wasn't my favorite

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest review.

This YA mystery novel was a bit too slow-paced for my liking. I didn’t understand why the characters did what they did at some points, and the ending was not great for me - I didn’t get what the “villain’s” motive was at all. The writing was good, just not for me. 3 stars.